Today's News-Tuesday, June 30, 2009

ARMED ROBBERY AT TURKEY HILL

POLICE IN ASHLAND ARE LOOKING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HELD UP THE TURKEY HILL CONVENIENCE STORE EARLY MONDAY. THE WHITE MALE, 5 FEET 8 TO 5 FEET 10, AND 180 TO 200 POUNDS, WALKED IN TO THE STORE AROUND 3:30AM MONDAY WITH A BASEBALL BAT, ROBBED THE STORE AND FLED. HE WAS REPORTEDLY WEARING A BLACK KNIT CAP, WHITE BANDANA, A LONG SLEEVED GREY SHIRT AND SILVER SHORTS. IT IS UNKOWN HOW MUCH THE BANDIT GOT. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION TO AID ASHLAND POLICE, CALL THEM AT 875-2600.

DNA EVIDENCE LEADS TO ARREST

HIGH TECH POLICE WORK HAS LED TO THE ARREST OF A SHENANDOAH MAN FOR A BURGLARY A YEAR AGO. IN JANUARY, 2008, 79 YEAR OLD THOMAS MAJEWSKI, WESTON PLACE, WOKE TO FIND A MAN BURGLARIZING HIS HOME. DNA EVIDENCE COLLECTED AT THE SCENE WAS ANALYZED BY STATE POLICE AT READING, AND FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT 33 YEAR OLD DENNIS BUGDEN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BURGLARY. HE WAS ARRAIGNED ON BURGLARY AND THEFT CHARGES AND TAKEN TO THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON.

TWO PICKED UP ON WARRANTS

SHENANDOAH BOROUGH AND STATE POLICE HAVE APPREHENDED TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE RUN FROM AUTHORITIES. MONDAY EVENING, 44 YEAR OLD PAUL JADUS, WHO WAS WANTED ON DRUG WARRANTS FROM 2005, WAS PICKED UP IN THE BOYERS FOOD MARKET PARKING LOT IN SHENANDOAH. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INDICATED THAT 33 YEAR OLD STACEY PUKIEWICZ WAS RECENTLY SEEN WITH JADUS, AND SHE HAD BEEN ON THE RUN AFTER NO RETURNING TO A HALFWAY HOUSE FOLLOWING WORK RELEASE. PUKIEWICZ HAD BEEN IN JAIL FOR FORGERY RELATED CHARGES. SHE WAS RETURNED TO BERKS COUNTY FOR DISPOSITION.

SHEN MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT

A SHENANDOAH MAN IS FACING AGGRAVATED AND SIMPLE ASSUALT CHARGES FOLLOWING AN INCIDENT SUNDAY. OFFICERS IN THE BOROUGH SAY THAT SAMUAL SANABRIA ALLEGEDLY BRANDISHED A KNIFE AND LUNGED AT DIANA TAPIA. SHE REPORTEDLY PUT HER HANDS UP TO BLOCK THE KNIFE AND SUFFERED A GASH ON HER RIGHT HAND. SHE WAS TREATED AT ST CATHERINES MEDICAL CENTER.

STATE BUDGET
UPDATE: PA. TO BEGIN 7TH STRAIGHT YEAR WITHOUT A BUDGET
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE GOVERNMENT IS POISED
TO BEGIN A SEVENTH STRAIGHT FISCAL YEAR WITHOUT A SPENDING PLAN IN PLACE. WHEN THE NEW BUDGET YEAR BEGINS WEDNESDAY, THE STATE WILL HAVE CURTAILED AUTHORITY TO SPEND MONEY AND BOTH CHAMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE WILL BE IN SESSION, ATTEMPTING TO BREAK THE STALEMATE. GOV. ED RENDELL AND REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS ARE ABOUT $2 BILLION APART ON PROPOSALS TO BALANCE THE RECESSION-WRACKED BUDGET. RENDELL SAYS HE'S PREPARED TO GO AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO GET AN ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT. HE SAYS RESIDENTS WILL NOTICE LITTLE CHANGE IN STATE SERVICES WEDNESDAY WHEN MANY SEGMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT LOSE THE ABILITY TO PAY BILLS. STATE LEGISLATORS ARE EXPECTED TO MISS THEIR MONTHLY PAYCHECKS, WHICH NORMALLY GO OUT ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH.

PHILADELPHIA UNIONS
NEW: TALKS CONTINUE ON EXPIRING PHILLY LABOR CONTRACTS
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA'S 20,000 UNION WORKERS ARE CONTINUING ON THE JOB AS CONTRACT EXPIRATIONS LOOM. THE LABOR AGREEMENTS EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT TUESDAY BUT UNIONS FOR THE CITY'S WHITE COLLAR AND BLUE COLLAR EMPLOYEES AREN'T CALLING FOR STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTES AT THIS POINT. THE UNIONS ARE NEGOTIATING OVER CITY DEMANDS FOR WAGE FREEZES, CONCESSIONS ON PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS AND WORK RULES AND RESTRUCTURING OF HEALTH BENEFITS. PHILADELPHIA'S POLICE AND FIRE UNIONS CANNOT STRIKE. THEIR CONTRACTS WILL BE RESOLVED THROUGH ARBITRATION.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
NEW: PA. LAWMAKERS WORK TO EXTEND JOBLESS BENEFITS
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS ARE WORKING ON LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ENABLE FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TO BE EXTENDED ANOTHER SEVEN WEEKS. IF PASSED, THAT WOULD PREVENT MORE THAN 20,000 PENNSYLVANIANS FROM EXHAUSTING THEIR JOBLESS BENEFITS IN MID-JULY. LABOR AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SECRETARY PATRICK BEATY SAYS IF LEGISLATORS AGREE TO EXTEND THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT, AS MANY AS 60,000 PEOPLE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL OR PART OF THE SEVEN-WEEK EXTENSION. THAT WOULD BE AT A PROJECTED COST OF $145 MILLION. THE STATE'S MAXIMUM UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PAYOUT IS $583 PER WEEK. THAT INCLUDES AN ADDITIONAL $25 FROM THE FEDERAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE.

CHIROPRACTOR CHARGED
NEW: PA. CHIROPRACTOR'S LAWYER REBUTS PATIENTS' CLAIMS
EASTON, PA. (AP) - THE LAWYER FOR A CHIROPRACTOR IN PENNSYLVANIA'S LEHIGH VALLEY ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY MOLESTING PATIENTS SAYS THE ALLEGATIONS ARE RELATED TO A LAWSUIT HIS CLIENT FILED. DR. JOHN MARINO HAS HIS PRACTICE IN BATH AND ALSO SERVES ON THE NAZARETH AREA SCHOOL BOARD. MICHAEL MCCARRIE SAID MONDAY AT A HEARING ABOUT THE SUSPENSION OF MARINO'S LICENSE THAT ONE OF HIS ACCUSERS IS VERY CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH A FORMER BUSINESS PARTNER OF MARINO'S. THAT WOMAN DENIED THAT THE LAWSUIT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER CLAIMS. MCCARRIE SAID MARINO WASN'T CHARGED UNTIL APRIL, THREE MONTHS AFTER SUING THE FORMER BUSINESS PARTNER, EVEN THOUGH THE CRIMES ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE OCCURRED BETWEEN 2004 AND 2006. A DECISION ON THE SUSPENSION OF MARINO'S LICENSE IS EXPECTED BY FRIDAY.

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
NEW: WOMAN SUES OCEAN CITY EMS IN CO DEATHS
OCEAN CITY, MD. (AP) - A WOMAN WHOSE HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER DIED OF MONOXIDE POISONING AT AN OCEAN CITY HOTEL IS SUING THE RESORT'S FIRE/EMS DIVISION FOR $20 MILLION. YVONNE BOUGHTER OF LEBANON, PA. SAYS THE EMS TEAM FAILED TO COME TO THEIR AID FOR SEVERAL HOURS IN THE 2006 INCIDENT. THE SUIT WAS FILED FRIDAY IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT IN BALTIMORE. IN THE SUIT, BOUGHTER SAYS SHE, HER HUSBAND AND THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS FELL ILL ON JUNE 27, 2006, WHEN THEY WERE STAYING AT THE DAYS INN HOTEL. SHE SAYS SHE CALLED 911 FROM HER CELL PHONE AT 9:43 A.M. AND TOLD THE DISPATCHER HER FAMILY HAD BEEN ILL ALL NIGHT. SHE THEN FELL UNCONSCIOUS, AWOKE ABOUT 2 P.M. AND CALLED 911 AGAIN. THE EMS TEAM ARRIVED ABOUT 2:02 P.M.

NORTHERN LIBERTIES SHOOTINGS
UPDATE: POLICE: PHILLY DOUBLE SLAYING WELL PLANNED
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE IN PHILADELPHIA SAY A DOUBLE SLAYING IN AN UPSCALE APARTMENT BUILDING WAS WELL PLANNED. POLICE RELEASED SURVEILLANCE VIDEO MONDAY TAKEN IN THE HALLWAY OF THE APARTMENT BUILDING WHERE 34-YEAR-OLD RIAN THAL AND A MALE COMPANION, 40-YEAR-OLD TIMOTHY GILMORE, WERE KILLED SATURDAY. POLICE CAPT. JAMES CLARK SAYS IT SHOWS FOUR MEN CAREFULLY SETTING UP AN AMBUSH OF THE TWO VICTIMS. POLICE SAY THEY FOUND A LARGE AMOUNT OF DRUGS AND MONEY IN THAL'S APARTMENT AT THE PIAZZA AT SCHMIDT'S DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY'S TRENDY NORTHERN LIBERTIES NEIGHBORHOOD. POLICE SAY THEY BELIEVE THAL AND GILMORE WERE ACCOMPLICES IN A DRUG CRIME.

TRUCK KILLS CHILD
UPDATE: TRUCK KILLS CHILD IN PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY IS DEAD AFTER BEING HIT BY A TRACTOR-TRAILER IN THE MAYFAIR NEIGHBORHOOD OF PHILADELPHIA. THE TRUCK DRIVER STOPPED AT THE SCENE OF MONDAY AFTERNOON'S ACCIDENT. POLICE SAY THE BOY STUMBLED INTO THE STREET, LOST HIS FOOTING AND ROLLED UNDER THE TRUCK'S REAR TIRES. THE CHILD WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT ARIA HEALTH'S TORRESDALE CAMPUS A SHORT TIME LATER.

MORTGAGE FRAUD
PA. TOUGHENS LAWS TO PREVENT MORTGAGE FRAUD
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA HAS TWO NEW LAWS TO COMBAT
MORTGAGE FRAUD. GOV. ED RENDELL SIGNED THE TWO BILLS INTO LAW MONDAY AS HE WAS WATCHED BY VICTIMS OF FORMER MORTGAGE BROKER WESLEY SNYDER, WHO WAS SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON. PROSECUTORS SAY SNYDER SWINDLED NEARLY 800 HOMEOWNERS AND 29 INVESTORS IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA OUT OF MORE THAN $29 MILLION IN A PONZI SCHEME. ONE BILL RENDELL SIGNED WILL HELP CONSUMERS GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THE BANK ABOUT THEIR LOAN TERMS AND PAYMENTS BY PREVENTING THE MORTGAGE BROKER OR ORIGINATOR FROM BEING THE EXCLUSIVE RECIPIENT OF THAT INFORMATION. A SECOND BILL SIGNED BY RENDELL PREVENTS A MORTGAGE COMPANY OWNER FROM FIRING OR PUNISHING EMPLOYEES WHO ALERT AUTHORITIES TO ILLEGAL ACTIVITY. THE PROVISIONS TAKE EFFECT IN 60 DAYS.